Newsletter: The INL Beat, July/August 2013

ILEA Gaborone Makes Strides against Mass Crimes in Sub-Saharan Africa

Graduates of the first mass crimes course at the International Law Enforcement Academy in Gaborone, Botswana.

INL sponsored a recent training on mass crime scene investigations in Gaborone, Botswana. The training, the first of its kind to be held in Sub-Saharan Africa, took place at INL’s modern training facility, the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA).

The purpose of this training is to build critical skills to support rapid law enforcement responses to mass crime scenes. Swift action in investigating mass killings is a key step in preventing the political and social crises that sometimes occur in the wake of such tragedies. This course also boosted partner nations’ capacity to utilize proper investigative techniques for identifying, capturing, and preserving key evidence used in prosecutions, helping to ensure that future cases against perpetrators of mass crimes are supported by the requisite evidence to secure a conviction. The perpetrators of mass crimes, such as Liberia’s Charles Taylor, have focused their defenses around attempts to find flaws with evidentiary procedures.

Course graduates include a multi-national delegation of 40 mid- and senior-level law enforcement officers from Kenya, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Rwanda. Each graduate is now included on the roster for Justice Rapid Response (JRR) – an active list of law enforcement officers that can be called to deploy anywhere in the world to investigate mass crime scenes.

ILEA Gaborone opened in 2001 in order to provide civilian law enforcement training for officials from Sub-Saharan Africa. Since its opening, over 6,700 law enforcement officials from 34 countries have trained at ILEA Gaborone, making it a premier training site for African law enforcement officials.

INL Partners with the United States Institute of Peace to Host Discussion with Afghan Minister of Counter Narcotics

On June 12, INL and the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) held a panel discussion on Afghan counternarcotics policies. Moderated by William Byrd, Afghanistan Senior Expert at USIP, the event featured Afghan Minister of Counter Narcotics Zarar Ahmad Muqbel Osmani, Governor Tooryalai Wesa of Kandahar Province, Governor Mohammad Naeem Baloch of Helmand Province, Governor Akram Kupalwak of Farah Province, and Deputy Minister of the Interior Baz Mohammad Ahmadi. Minister Osmani emphasized the need for a long term, balanced, and comprehensive approach to the challenge of combating drugs in Afghanistan and highlighted the direct connection between narcotics and the insurgency. Minister Osmani called narcotics production “one of the greatest challenges to my country, to the region, and to numerous other countries.” He also noted that “narcotics of all forms are a serious threat to the peace and security of [Afghanistan].”

Additionally, Minister Osmani previewed policies that will appear in the upcoming Afghan National Drug Control Strategy, including the five primary goals for the Ministry of Counter Narcotics (MCN). The MCN’s will focus on reducing the cultivation of poppy, demand reduction, increasing public awareness, improving medical treatment, and enhancing law enforcement efforts across the region.

The MCN currently engages in these activities and is working with INL to expand the Afghan government’s capacity and improve upon current programs.

The delegation expressed their appreciation for the U.S. government’s assistance to Afghanistan and noted that U.S. sacrifices would not be forgotten. Minister Osmani stated, “[The] important assistance [from INL] enables us increasingly to shoulder responsibilities during the transition process through 2014.”

Provincial Governors also commented on the challenges their provinces face. Governor Baloch noted that most farmers in Helmand Province are prepared to stop cultivating poppy if they are provided other viable options to meet their family’s basic needs. Governor Wesa and Governor Kupalwak expressed their desire for more assistance programs like the MCN’s Food Zone, which provide a multifaceted approach to reducing illegal opium poppy cultivation.

The Afghan delegation participated in this event as a part of an INL-funded visit to the United States, which included meetings with senior-level U.S. government officials. During these meetings, Minister Osmani emphasized the importance of maintaining a comprehensive counternarcotics approach in Afghanistan,

The U.S. government assists in a wide-range of counternarcotics efforts, focused on building the Afghan government’s capacity to facilitate a sustainable transition away from poppy cultivation.

INL Programs Support Border Security in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Participating DRC officers in the graduation parade.

On June 14, 86 border police from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including 11 female officers, graduated from an INL-funded training course. The ceremony, held in Bunia, DRC, marked the culmination of a four-week training program conducted in partnership with the International Organization on Migration (IOM).

The training program focused on strengthening the technical capacity of the border police and the customs and immigration agencies in the vulnerable Orientale, North Kivu, and South Kivu regions.

During the June 14 graduation ceremony, Provincial Commissioner of the National Police, General David Masandi, expressed the sincere gratitude of the DRC government for U.S. funding and collaboration for this project. Graduates provided INL and IOM with feedback about the benefits of the program. As a result of the IOM border police training program, officers are equipped to identify and properly classify various criminal activities along the external borders of Eastern DRC, such as including illicit trafficking of persons and goods. In addition, INL’s program has provided the border police with the technical skills necessary to effectively and efficiently address the causes and consequences of border-related criminal activity, which promotes the country’s overall stability. The project has also encouraged increased cooperation between neighboring border authorities and the exchange of good practices, helping to improve the quality of additional border agencies as well.

Slightly less than one-fourth the size of the United States, the DRC shares borders with eight African nations. Since 2008, INL has funded programs in the DRC designed to increase security along the country’s massive borders, bolster the movement of non-conflict minerals, and provide support and access to justice for survivors of sexual assault.

Through training programs like this example, INL is working with our partners in the DRC to build a strong, stable, and effective police force, capable of protecting its citizens and with a respect for rule of law.

Aviation Award for INL

Dave Campbell is presented an award by Carolyn Austin-Diggs, Principal Deputy for Asset and Transportation Management, Office of Government-wide Policy, U.S. General Services Administration.

At a July 18 meeting of the Interagency Committee for Aviation Policy (ICAP), Dave Campbell, Director of Operations for INL's Office of Aviation, received the 2012 Federal Aviation Professional Award in the Operational Support category. This annual award is presented to the individual who has contributed in the most outstanding manner to improving or sustaining the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of his or her agency's federal flight program.

The INL 2013 Orientation

The course concluded at Foreign Service Institute in Arlington (FSI), Virginia with a warm reception in the Wood Lobby.

On July 19, 69 Foreign Service Officers, civil servants and contractors completed INL’s annual Orientation Workshop (PP218). This intensive week-long course explores INL’s policies and mission; policy formulation process in Washington; the role of an INL officer overseas; the Department’s approach to foreign assistance supporting counternarcotics, anti-crime, and justice and security sector reform; core principles of program management and evaluation; and budgeting and managing funds. Key presenters included INL Assistant Secretary William Brownfield and Deputy Assistant Secretary Carol Perez, representatives from the Office of the Legal Advisor and the Office of Foreign Assistance. Various INL offices led in-depth classes specific to their area of expertise. In addition, four current INL mission directors served as mentors, providing useful perspectives on overseas operations. They encouraged INL officers to vigorously participate in country team meetings at their post, coordinate program budgeting with other agencies, and build robust lines of communication with support offices in Washington D.C.; all of which will assist the needs of the mission.

INL congratulates the graduates from the first INL Project Management (PM) Certificate Program! In June, 20 INL personnel received their master’s certificate from George Washington University School of Business in Project Management after completing seven modules related to such topics such as: earned value management, project design, performance monitoring, and risk management. INL continues to move forward with project management courses for domestic and overseas staff wishing to obtain an associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s certificate in Project Management.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

Sign-in

Do you already have an account on one of these sites? Click the logo to sign in and create your own customized State Department page. Want to learn more? Check out our FAQ!

Because JavaScript is disabled, you can only sign in by entering your OpenID URL manually: